Harnesses, leads, collars, backpacks, coats, snowsuits, booties, canicross gear and more!
In terms of brands that cover all types of dog equipment, the main 2 we've tried are Ruffwear and Non-Stop Dog Wear. We have worked with both in the past and I think highly of each ☺️ I'd say the quality is the same (very good with thoughtful designs), and the main difference between them is just the vibe.
NSDW is very sleek, professional and sporting - elite athlete vibes.
Ruffwear is colourful, with fun and seasonal patterns - cool hiker vibes.
see the end of this post for discount codes!
I do regularly use items from other brands too, so I'll try and them below by how often we use them:
Everyday
Collars:- Non-Stop Dog Wear
- We've tried the Cruise and Roam collars
- Hugo = size S and Spencer = size M.
- Ruffwear
- We've tried the Front range, Crag & Flat out collars
- Hugo & Spencer = size 14-20"
- The Wild Wanderer Co
- beautiful handmade rope collars
- custom sizing
Leads
When we're in town/I need to walk the boys on a lead, I use a figure-8.
I've used the
All Things Rope figure 8 lead and thought it was great (very hardy), but I tend to prefer the
Ruff & Tumble slip (that I twist into a fig-8) as its a softer rope, and I can still use it as a slip lead when I want. I go for the slim width for the boys and like their forest green and burgundy colours.
When out hiking I use bungee waist leads to be able to keep my hands free. I tend to match the brand to which ever harness I pick, so either NSDW or Ruffwear.
From Non-Stop, I use the touring adjustable bungee and their lead splitter (the touring double).
And from Ruffwear, the Roamer Bungee. They do have a splitter (I havent tried it unfortunately), so I just double up with 2 leads.
Harnesses:
Personal preference does come into this a fair bit! I use harnesses on hikes and will pick based on the specific route:
If it doesn't involve technical sections where I need to lift them then I go for something as minimal as possible. I'm using the harness as a 'just in case I need to pop them on'. For these hikes, the
NSDW Line Harness (or the Line Harness Grip) is fab.
If it does involve technical sections, then I choose a lifting harness (one that has a 2nd body clip and handle).
Ruffwear - have the
Webmaster and the
Flagline. Of these two, I prefer the Flagline as the bottom panel is connected, and it has a more minimal design.
A few times a week
Dressing GownsI wash the boys' paws after each walk, but if they get muddy enough to need a full body wash, I use their dressing gowns after to help dry them quicker and stop water getting all round the house!
I've tried a couple brands over the years and the best, in my opinion, also happens to be the cheapest; the
Zooplus Kooa dressing gowns
As and when!
Coats:
I'm using coats for the boys less as we're coming out of the winter season (although they're still used on each summit camp) but the
Glacier 2.0 jackets are one of my favourite items from Non-Stop. They are brilliantly designed with awesome features and I couldn't recommend them more! The jackets are a well fitting warm coat that has water resistance so pretty perfect for wintery and/or snowy hikes. As they are not waterproof, I wouldn't use them if you're heading out in the rain, and would instead go for something like
Fjord raincoat.
Hugo wears a size 45 and Spencer wears a size 50.
Backpack:
When doing a summit camp or a long trek, it can be really handy to split a bit of the load and have the boys carry their own things! I've used the
Amundsen packs twice now - both for summit camps - and they are a great size. The boys each carry their own sleeping bag, coat, booties, food and bowl, plus there is room in the easy access pockets for treats.
The pack size XXS fits Hugo pretty perfectly and Spencer is between an XS and XXS.
Sleeping Bags:
Dog sleeping bags are not something I knew existed until we started summit camping but I'm so glad they do! Aside from the fact they are, of course, practical and keep your dog warm, they are absolutely adorable! The boys love snuggling into their LY sleeping bags in the tent and with the additional head-opening zip, you can either leave them with their head poking out or entirely zip them in. Spencer loves to be fully zipped in whereas Hugo likes to keep his nose out!
Hugo fits the size S sleeping bag and Spencer fits the size M.
Protector Snow suit:
I absolutely love this! I've not seen a product so well designed for its purpose before and its was brilliant for the boys this winter. Its a pretty thin lycra-ish tight suit that covers the dog's entire body and protects them from snow bobbling. The only things that stick out are their head, feet, tail and theres a small (and very well placed!) hole in the groin for them to pee! The suits are either designed for male or female because they are so fitted so take the time to measure properly when picking a size.
Top tip we got from Non-Stop - put a sandwich bag over your dogs paw when putting the suit on as its helps it glide over their paws!. I have tried other things like fleeces that do help a bit but we found the boys over heat, the fleece retains water (and then freezes to them) and you still have quite a large amount of fur left exposed. Being so light and thin, the protector snow suit does exactly what it says - it protects them from the snow - without the negatives we experienced from fleeces! So next winter if you're heading out into quite a bit of snow, I would definitely recommend getting one of these.
Hugo wears a size XS and Spencer wears a size M.
Booties:
Non-Stop have a few options for booties that are all the sock style and we use the all-rounders, the
Protector Booties. The boys have tried the shoe-style boots before (the ones that have a solid sole) and they really did not like them! They are
much more comfortable in these sock-style ones! I use them in winter during snowy hikes to stop snowbobbling on their toe-fluff and also use them if I am taking them canicross running on a hard surface like tarmac so that they don't scrape their paws. In the photo you can see one on and one off to compare :)
Both boys fit into the M booties.
LifeJackets:
Both of my boys are great swimmers, but I still like to have a lifejacket on them when we're doing water sports just in case. The new
Protector Life Jacket has a great minimal design that is really supportive for their torso, so they arent in the way when sitting or moving about, but they are still fully supported in the water.
Hugo wears a size 4 and Spencer wears a size 5.
The boys' measurements:
Maximum head size: Hugo - 36cm / Spencer - 41cm
Neck: Hugo - 34cm / Spencer - 38cm
Elbow to elbow: Hugo - 48cm / Spencer - 52cm
Chest: Hugo - 57cm / Spencer - 62cm
Back length: Hugo - 44.5cm / Spencer - 51.5cm
Weight: Hugo - 13kg / Spencer - 19kg
Pop us a DM if you have any specific questions about the products mentioned above and check out the Non-Stop site for more technical information on the items!
